[Social cognition and atypical antipsychotic agents in the treatment of persons with schizophrenia: preliminary data from a naturalistic study]

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a chronic disorder that begins in adolescence or in early adulthood. In schizophrenic disorder there are relevant deficits in social interaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of atypical antipsychotic drugs compared to a conventional antipsychotic in the treatment of psychotic symptoms and on cognitive functions of a group of people affected by schizophrenia. Effects of novel antipsychotic drugs on social functioning improvement, regarded as improvement in the ability to represent mental states, were thoroughly assessed. Our study was conducted in the form of naturalistic observation of a sample of 45 people affected by schizophrenia treated with haloperidol, clozapine and risperidone. Our results show that after one year of treatment there were significant positive results in social competence abilities in the group of people being treated with risperidone. Theses results may have a relevant impact on the improvement of quality of life in people affected by schizophrenia.